Two years on from the review into deaths in prison custody and little progress has been made
30th November 2023 marked two years since the recommendations of the Independent Review of the Response to Deaths in Prison Custody were published. During these two years, there has been a lack of progress on the recommendations regarding an inquiry into the prevention of deaths, and, at Families Outside, we are extremely concerned about the […]
Families are paying the price of imprisonment
Scotland has the second highest imprisonment rate in western Europe; approximately 7,400 people are in prison in Scotland on any given day. This means that thousands of families – mothers, fathers, partners, siblings, grandparents, children – are affected by imprisonment each day, and there are significant costs that come with this. Many of the people […]
Paying the Price: A Project on the Financial Impact on Families of Imprisonment and Release
Families Outside, supported by abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, launched new research last week (29th March), highlighting the devastating financial cost to families of supporting someone in prison and after release. The research found that the burden of care and costs associated with supporting someone in prison in Scotland falls disproportionately on women, with many spending […]
“Devastating”, “damaging”, “broke my heart”: When brothers and sisters are separated
“Devastating”, “damaging” and “broke my heart”. These are just some of the words care-experienced young people I have spoken to as part of the Staying Connected project, and who are currently serving a prison sentence themselves, have used to describe what it feels like to be separated from their brothers and sisters. Sometimes this has […]
The Cost to Families of Imprisonment and Release debated in the Scottish Parliament
Yesterday, Tuesday 7th March 2023, saw Members of the Scottish Parliament engage in a Members’ debate led by Rona Mackay, SNP MSP, about the cost to families of imprisonment and release. Opening the debate, Ms Mackay, gave a powerful account of the difficulties facing children and families affected by imprisonment describing the “adverse ripple effects” […]